Individual absorbent articles for personal hygiene articles are protected from the environment by sheets of material commonly referred to as wrappers or overwrap. Tampons, in particular, have employed wrappers in which each tampon is encased in a separate primary package, which may be then be sold in quantity in secondary packaging, often a box.
Tampons are generally categorized in two classes: applicator tampons and digital tampons. The wrapper for an applicator tampon is typically elongated, loose fitting, and flange or fin sealed at the ends with a small cut or notch at one end which the user uses to tear open the wrapper in a longitudinal fashion. The wrapper for a digital tampon is typically tight fitting, often contacting the outer surface of the tampon completely about the perimeter. Typically, the wrapper for a digital tampon resembles a tube where two longitudinal margins overlap. The wrapper is sealed at both the insertion and withdrawal end. The longitudinal overlap is also sealed, usually by heat. This tight wrapping may help maintain the shape of the tampon and prevent deformation.
Examples of wrapper sealing for both digital tampons and applicator tampons may be found on in U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,305 (Hull et al.); WO 03/082174 (Schoelling et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,665 (Domeier et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 7,101,358 (Domeier et al.); and U.S. 2008/0118679 (McConnell et al.).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,170,305 discloses a wrapper for a cylindrical body which is tightly wrapped, clean, dust proof and easily opened. The wrapper has two perforations zones, and double wrapping such that the zones are off set so as to close any pathway into the product. The ends of the wrapper are sealed by means such as heat sealing. The tampon is unwrapped by simply lifting and gripping a tab, resulting in the two layers coming off together, separating the wrapper into multiple pieces. The wrapper extends at least twice the radial circumference of the tampon body.
WO 03/082174 discloses a packaging material having at least one line of weakness. After destruction of the line, the wrapper can be peeled off the product, preferably in one piece. The end points of the packaging material sheet can be reinforced in order to prevent the packaging material from tearing beyond the end points.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,955,665 purports to disclose wrapper for an individually packaged tampon. The wrapper has an opening means made of at least one line of weakness, which does not extend around the whole wrapped tampon in terms of length or perimeter. Because of this, the wrapper is prevented from becoming separated into several pieces of wrapper material upon opening of the wrapper, which is facilitated by tearing along the line of weakness.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,101,358 purports to disclose a wrapper for individually wrapped tampons, which includes a line of weakness having an opening means which includes a stopper. The opening means is a tear tape and the stopper prevents the separation of the tear tape from at least one segment of the wrapper material, which is generated upon opening of the wrapper. As the wrapper is formed by closing the wrapper material onto itself a seam is generated in the regions of the wrapper. The tear tape can extend around the whole tampon lengthwise or around the whole perimeter of the tampon or both. The stopper may be substantially coextensive with at least part of the seam.
U.S. 2008/0118679 purports to disclose a wrapper that provides predictable and easy opening, discrete disposal and the ability to remain in one piece after opening. The wrapper includes one or more lines of weakness, which can be disposed at an angle with respect to a longitudinal axis of the wrapper. The line of weakness can extend around less than about 95% of the periphery and may have an initiation point. The wrapper may have a back or side seal.
In this invention, even though the line of weakness extends completely around the wrapped tampon, the overwrap remains in one piece when opened. This overcomes some of the disadvantages of the above prior art such as providing the user with a hygienic wrapped tampon, an easy way to remove the tampon from the overwrap, a single piece of waste to dispose of and less manipulation of the overwrap. This is accomplished by sealing the edges of a tampon wrapper such that the perforations forming the opening mechanism are not impeded or compromised. This allows the overwrap to be easily opened in order to remove the enclosed tampon without the overwrap separating into multiple pieces of material.